Portrait of Hiccup as a Buff Man What-If
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: How I think Episode 8 of "Riders of Berk" should have ended. NOT a one-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, so, it is March 31st now...the last day of my hiatus...but I got this idea in my head and I couldn't just wait until tomorrow to see what you guys think. :) It's a short story, so...not exactly a full story, but really not a one-shot, either. It's my version of the ending of "Portrait of Hiccup as a Buff Man" (episode 8, Riders of Berk in case you want to know). Hope you like it! :D **

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"Ugh, it's so hot!" Snotlout said, wiping sweat off his forehead. "Is anybody else _hot_? 'Cause I'm really _HOT_!"

"I know," Tuffnut said. "I'm sweating like a dragon at an eel party!"

Astrid looked down when she felt something brush against her legs. As she looked at the ground, it appeared to be shimmering. Well, that certainly wasn't normal. It didn't take a genius to figure that much out.

"Uh, guys…?" Astrid said, taking a step backwards. "Is it just me, or is the floor moving?"

Hiccup looked down and saw that sure enough, Astrid was right. He knelt down, shining his torch close to the ground. The shimmering whatever-they-were scattered in the opposite directions. Hiccup stood up straight again, glancing at his dragon.

"Uh, Toothless, can you give us some light?" he asked. Toothless growled and then shot a plasma blast towards the far corner of the wall. On impact, light filled the cavern. Fishlegs looked down at the floor that appeared to be "moving." After a few minutes, he sat back.

"That's why it's so hot in here," Fishlegs said, just before he gasped. "Fireworm dragons!"

"Whoa," Tuffnut breathed, kneeling down, stretching his hands towards one of the Fireworms.

"Stop!" Hiccup shouted, just before Tuffnut touched it. Tuffnut looked up at him in confusion. "Their skin burns hotter than the sun."

"Yeah," Tuffnut said, picking up one of the black Fireworms, "but how hot can the sun really be?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the Fireworm glowed bright orange. Tuffnut gasped and dropped the dragon. "Yyyyyoooouch!" he shouted. "Owww, augh!"

As soon as Tuffnut shouted, the entire floor lit up, orange and red. Fireworm dragons practically covered the floor, leaving little to no room for a clear path.

"Whoa," Tuffnut said.

Toothless blasted some Fireworms away that got too close to him and Hiccup, but more of them kept coming. The rest of the dragons continued doing the same, firing all the fire they had at the different dragons.

Then, in front of them, three pedestals rose out of the ground. Man, Hiccup was really beginning to _hate _this treasure hunt. Of course, there was no way he was going to back out of it now. They had gotten this far. He wasn't going to give up. So, stepping forward, he approached the three pedestals.

On top of each sat a small object; another piece of the metal contraption they were slowly building. But which one was the right one? Was there even a way of knowing?

"Grab 'em!" Snotlout shouted desperately. "And let's GO!"

Wow, Snotlout was really slow at catching on. Didn't he know that grabbing _all _of them could be disasterous?

"No, it's a choice," Hiccup said. He was a bit surprised by how calm his voice sounded, considering their situation. Well, no time to dwell on that. "Listen to this, guys." he looked down at the map, and then began reading: "'Something pure and something strong. Look first to yourself, and you don't go wrong.'"

"Strong," Fishlegs mused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "That must be the one made of iron!"

"But iron's not pure," Astrid said. "Take the gold."

The Fireworms were ganging up on the dragons now. Hookfang ran out of fire, and Meatlug jumped in front of him before the Fireworms got to him, blasting the pests with lava.

"It's getting really hard to breathe!" Astrid announced as if it were a great discovery. _Thank you for that, Astrid, _Hiccup thought sarcastically to himself. _Because we obviously don't already know that. _He kept thinking about the metal objects; which one to take, which one to take?

"That's what happens when you're getting roasted alive!" Fishlegs said to Astrid. _And let's thank Fishlegs for that inspirational speech_, Hiccup thought to himself while also trying to think of a solution to the puzzle.

"You might wanna make a decision soon, Hiccup!" Fishlegs said. "We don't have much time!"

Of course, Hiccup already knew this, probably better than anyone else there at that time. A Fireworm brushed against Hiccup's leg, and he yelped in momentary pain, stepping backwards, falling against Toothless by accident. Toothless breathed plasma onto the Fireworms, scattering them almost effortlessly. Hiccup patted his head in a silent "thank you" and then took another step forward.

"'Look to yourself,'" he repeated one of the lines of the riddle to himself, approaching the middle pedestal. Just by looking at it, he couldn't tell what kind of metal it was, but something about it just felt..._right_. He couldn't explain what it was. Maybe it was his instinct as a hiccup? He didn't know. Something, however, lead him towards that one pedestal, and that one piece of metal.

"Careful, it could be a trap," Astrid said from behind him, but he was hardly listening to her, not taking his focus off his target. He had already considered the fact that it could have been a trap. He didn't need to think about it a second time.

His hands hovered over the piece of metal uncertainly. What to do? Now that he was standing right in front of it, his mind begged to differ. What if this wasn't the right one? What if he was leading his friends to certain death? Maybe he should tell them to get out before he touched it...but then again, he knew they wouldn't leave.

Before he fully registered what he was doing, he plucked the metal off the pedestal. At first, nothing happened, and he examined the shiny object in his hand. The next instant, however, the floor beneath him vanished. He heard Astrid shout his name, and then he was falling. Falling down, towards the ground, oblivious to how far a drop it was. He didn't want to think about it.

Astrid and the others were shocked as they listened to Hiccup's shrill scream echo throughout the cavern. Then, just as Astrid was about to order they go look for him, the ground beneath her vanished as well, and she and the other riders fell, with their dragons, just as their leader had.

Then, all at once, they were knocked unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Long time no see, right? Yeah, no, just joking. It's only been a few hours, and I'm already here with the next chapter. I imagine this being somewhere around six (maybe seven?) chapters long, just with what I've planned in my head. And yeah, hopefully it will get better. :D Shout-outs: **

**silverwolvesarecool: Next chapter for you, Sil! I'm glad you're interested! :D **

**xFaerieValkyriex: I know, right? I loved episode 8 so much! I actually kind of loved _all _the episodes so much. And YES, I saw the new screenshot and IT IS AMAZING! Some people are getting angry because Hiccup is wearing red, but I think it looks AWESOME! And I love his half-flight-suit outfit, too! He's a lot taller than Astrid now...XD**

**BraveDragonof214: Thanks! :D And no worries about getting chapter 3. I know you're busy, and also have a lot of other stories you're working on. :)**

**hopelessromantic4life: Well, they fell. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. :) They all fell down the hole like Hiccup did. **

**And without further adieu (I LOVE that word!), CHAPTER 2! :D Enjoy! **

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Astrid found herself lying on the cold, stone ground. She sat up, brushing herself off as she went, surveying her surroundings.

"Fishlegs? Snotlout? Ruffnut? Tuffnut? Hiccup?" she called.

"Over here!" Fishlegs spoke up. Astrid turned around. She couldn't see anything, but she could hear bodies shuffling in the darkness.

"I'm alright," Snotlout said. "What? Did you miss me?"

"Here," Tuffnut said.

"Present," Ruffnut agreed.

Then, a fireball lit up the area. Astrid shielded her eyes for a moment before they adjusted to the light. Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Toothless, Meatlug, Hookfang, Stormfly, Barf and Belch were standing, a fire between them lit by the dragons.

"Are we all here?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah," came the unison reply.

"You guys alright?" Astrid asked, looking her friends over for injuries. Everyone seemed to be there, but when Astrid took a second glance, she realized they were missing someone. The only person Astrid didn't see was…

"Where's Hiccup?" Ruffnut asked.

The others spun around, looking in all directions. Instantly, they all began shouting, "Hiccup!" at different bouts, while the dragons tried to sniff him out. Toothless ran to and fro, roaring and growling as he searched for his rider. The others weren't any different.

"He's not here," Astrid said.

"Oh, yeah, because we didn't already know that, Miss Obvious!" Snotlout snapped. "Thank you for your contribution!"

"Well, at least I'm trying to help!" Astrid shouted back.

"What?" said Snotlout, offended. "And I'm not?"

"Guys, stop it!" Fishlegs snapped. "If we waste our time fighting, we'll never get out of here. We have to find Hiccup. He could be hurt."

That gave the riders a bit of a wake-up call. Astrid spun around, coming face to face with a pile of rubble. The rocks varied in size, from small pebbles to huge boulders. Astrid wondered if maybe…

"Oh no…" she whispered.

"What?" the others said in unison.

"What if he's beneath _that_!?" Astrid shouted, pointing to the pile of debris. They charged over, followed by their dragons.

"Then we have to get him out, that's obvious!" Snotlout said. "Hookfang, blast-"

"No, don't blast it!" Astrid yelled, slamming her hand over Snotlout's mouth before he finished his command. "The roof. It's unstable. If our dragons fire, it's bound to come down on top of us."

"Then what do we do?" Ruffnut asked. "We need a plan."

Astrid found herself in a bizarre position. A plan. Yes, they needed a plan, but normally, Hiccup was the one to always come up with all the brilliant schemes. He was the smart one of the group. However, when he wasn't able to help them, they were all but resourceful.

"We can't use fire," Astrid said, "so it looks like we're going to have to use our hands."

"You mean dig all this rock junk out with our bare fingers?" Snotlout said. "It'll take way too long, Astrid. We need to think of something that won't take as much time."

_What would Hiccup do? _Astrid asked herself repeatedly. Well, what _would _he do?

"We need help," Astrid said. She turned around and looked. Above her, she saw an opening. Sunlight poured through it, and best of all, it was the perfect size for a dragon to fit in.

"What?" the others asked in unison, confusion lacing their voices. Snotlout's voice was the loudest of all, and more demanding than anything. Ruffnut and Tuffnut sounded discombobulated, and Fishlegs just sounded worried.

"Fishlegs, do you know how to work Toothless' petal?" Astrid asked, stepping towards her friend.

"Well, sort of," Fishlegs said. "But-"

"Good," Astrid said. "You and Snotlout, take Hookfang and Toothless back to Berk. Get some villagers back here. We need all the help we can get."

"But that will take even longer than just doing it by ourselves!" Snotlout said. "We don't have time to go back to Berk, and then get them here! Chances are, they'll want to take a ship. A ship will take way, way, way, way, _way _too long. We don't know how much time Hiccup has."

_He might already be dead, _Astrid thought silently to herself as she looked back at where the rockslide had covered the area. No, Hiccup couldn't be dead. He just...he just _couldn't _be _dead_. The boy who fought and killed the Red Death? The first person to ride a dragon (a Night Fury, at that!)? The person to end the three-hundred year war between vikings and dragons?

No, he wasn't dead, and nothing was going to tell Astrid otherwise. Unless she saw solid proof, then she was going to notify him as "alive."

However, she couldn't take her mind off the fact that Snotlout was right. Getting help would take too long. But they also _needed _help from Berk. At the same time, though, they needed everyone they could get digging up the rocks…

Ugh.

"Okay, everyone, forget what I said a second ago, and start digging!" Astrid shouted, stumbling forward, grabbing a stone and tossing it away. One down, around one thousand or so to go.

"Way ahead of you!" Snotlout agreed, pulling stone after stone and rock after rock away from the pile of them. The dragons began digging, and the other riders began helping Snotlout and Astrid in any way they could.

_Please be alive, Hiccup, _Astrid pleaded silently as she dug through the dust, throwing rocks to the side as she went. Snotlout was grunting under the effort, Meatlug was gulping down rocks as if there were no tomorrow, Toothless was digging like a mad dragon, Stormfly, Barf and Belch, and Hookfang were doing no different.

_Please be okay. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, awesome people! Wow, three chapters today! I also updated one of my one-shots ("Wolves" is the title of it)! I feel so productive right now! *dances* Shout-outs next chapter! Thanks to all who read, review, follow, and BE AWESOME (that's everyone, by the way). ENJOY! :D **

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Hiccup opened his eyes with a groan. His head felt like it was being pounded by a forge hammer (in which he spoke, sadly, from experience), and his vision was hazy and blurry as if he was looking through murky water. He felt dry blood on his forehead, along with a warm, wet feeling of fresh blood matting his hair and staining it red. He had hit his head, but that much was already obvious. It explained his headache.

When his sight finally returned to him, he somehow found the strength and will to stand. While he was getting up on his knees, he gripped his head, hissing through his teeth and closing his eyes, waiting for the sharp, stabbing feeling to pass. Once it did, he straightened up, swaying on unsteady, wobbling feet as he did.

What happened?

Suddenly, it came rushing back at him. He was falling. That was the last thing he remembered. He was falling down...the others. Had they fallen with him? He remembered hearing them scream...they must have.

They _must _have.

"Astrid?" Hiccup called. Silence. "Fishlegs?" Hiccup tried again. Only his echo came back. "Ruffnut? Tuffnut?" As Hiccup shouted for his friends, he spun in a circle. "Snotlout?" He didn't get any response.

"Toothless?" he said, hesitating slightly. He really hoped that Toothless was somewhere close. But no such luck. He got no answer from anyone.

Hiccup looked around, and as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw, directly in front of him, a wall made of rocks and stones. A sickening thought washed over him. What if the others were crushed beneath them? What if they were injured somehow? What if they were _gravely _injured somehow and needed a healer?

Then again, they could have been fine. Maybe they were on the other side of this wall? Maybe they had gotten out? Maybe they were back on Berk, safe and sound? Hiccup decided not to get his hopes up. Holding his head with one hand, his other arm wrapped around his ribs (he knew that he must have cracked one or two by the way they felt), he stumbled forward.

"Come on, come on, stupid body, _move_," Hiccup muttered to himself. He leaned his hands against the stones when he got close enough, breathing in a deep breath through his nose. He tried rolling the stones away to get through, but he then found that he couldn't. His head swam too much, and his rubs burned as if they were on fire. He felt so helpless.

That, and it was getting nearly impossible to breathe…

Hiccup hadn't actually thought about it before, but now that his panic was somewhat (slightly somewhat, mind you) under control, he noticed just how little oxygen there seemed to be in the cavern. He tried taking a deep breath, but it came out shallow. He tried again, but once more, he got the same results.

He felt his heartbeat speed up. _No. _He had an air pocket in this cave, granted, but it was limited. He was already struggling to breathe. He didn't know how long he had been in there, and he didn't really want to think about it.

_Breathe_, he reminded himself. _Don't panic. Don't freak out. You have limited air. Don't waste it. Small breaths. Small breaths. Shallow breaths. Keep breathing. Don't panic. Stop freaking out, don't freak out, no panic attacks, breathe, keep breathing, shallow breaths...breathe...breathe...breathe… _

When he finally got his breathing down, he listened. He listened closely. Then, very faintly (but definitely there and unmistakable), he heard someone shout his name. He could recognize the voices instantly; Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Astrid. He also heard multiple dragons roaring. He breathed a sigh of relief. They were alive. That was the most important thing. His friends were _alive_.

He didn't have the strength to shout back at them, and even if he did, he was certain that they themselves were making too much noise to hear his faint voice. A wave of pain wracked his body, and he swallowed. He couldn't scream and waste oxygen. He hugged his ribs and opened his eyes, just before limping away from the stone, debris wall. If his friends were digging (which it sounded like they were. They were being loud about it, too), then he didn't want to be right in front of it when they finally reached him.

So, with that in mind, he just barely made it to the middle of the cavern before he collapsed with a small groan of pain. Everything hurt. His head hurt, his ribs hurt, his legs ached, his head hurt, his good leg and bad leg alike hurt, his ribs hurt, his head hurt…

His head and ribs really hurt.

He couldn't take a breath too deep because of his ribs, and a breath too shallow wasn't enough for his lungs. He had to take in just the right amount of air, or it left him gasping from lack of oxygen, or hissing through his teeth because of the amount of pain a deep breath caused him.

He really hoped that his friends got there soon. He could feel a little bit of blood run down the side of his head, but it was slowing down. However, Hiccup knew that it needed to be cleaned and taken care of properly, or else it would get infected. He knew that the same went for his ribs, besides the infected part. His ribs could heal wrong, and then that would be bad…

Hopefully his friends found him before that happened. That wouldn't happen for a few weeks. His friends would find him before then. They would get back to Berk, get help from a healer, and then everything would be alright.

After another twenty minutes of struggling to get enough air into his lungs, Hiccup finally closed his eyes, passing out from lack of oxygen. His last thought went out to his friends.

_Please, please find me. Hurry...please..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow, I am feeling REALLY REALLY REALLY productive right now! FOUR CHAPTERS FOR THIS STORY OUT TODAY, BABY! WHOOP WHOOP! :D And now, as I promised...SHOUT-OUTS! :D **

**silverwolvesarecool: FLASH, GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW AND HELP THE BERKIANS GET THEIR FRIEND OUT! FLASH! CAN YOU HEAR ME!? Oh, my brother drew Flash's logo on a little piece of paper, colored it in and everything, folded it so it was smaller, and then walked up to me saying, "Hey yo sis, look! It's a FLASH CARD!" It took all my willpower not to attack him...XD**

**BraveDragonof214: If Hiccup dies, I'll have an angry Astrid, Stoick, Toothless, and _entire island of Berk _after me...oh dear, I better not kill him. :) And yes, I apologize to ALL the characters I write about. Having me write about you isn't easy... **

**HiccupHaddockIII: Thanks! Ah, it's great to be back! :D **

**Guest: Thanks! I'm glad you like my writing! And the new season is called "Race to the Edge", I believe. :) **

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Stoick and Gobber soared over a small island located in the middle of no where. They had heard a rockslide, and were now trying to find out where it had come from. Even after twenty minutes of searching, they couldn't find anything of use. Above ground, there seemed to be no evidence of rockslides.

But of course, who knew where the treasure map of Hamish the Second was leading Hiccup and his friends? Underground? Above ground? Who knows, maybe even in the ocean? There was no way to tell, and it was making Stoick worried.

"Hey, Stoick!" Gobber called. "Is it just me, or is there a hole in the side of that mountain?"

Stoick turned to look at what Gobber was talking about, and soon enough, the blacksmith was right. A large, black, gaping hole seemed to appear out of no where...how had they not seen it before?

"Thornado, down!" Stoick commanded, and the Thunderdrum obeyed, hearing the demanding tone that laced his rider's voice. The dragons flew towards the entrance, flying straight through without a second thought.

They were greeted by the sight of Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and the dragons digging through a pile of rubble and rocks. They spun around with a collective cry of "Stoick!" before charging over to him and Gobber as they dismounted.

"What's happened?" Stoick demanded, seeing the looks on their faces. If that was any indication, then it wasn't good. It was at that point that Stoick realized his son was not amongst the group. "Where's Hiccup?" he asked, almost dreading the answer.

Astrid pointed a shaky hand towards the rocks. "We don't know, but we think he was buried!" she shouted.

"The rockslide came in nearly on top of us!" Snotlout inserted. "We haven't seen Hiccup, he's not in this area…" His voice trailed off when he realized Stoick wasn't listening. Instead, the Chief ran over and began tossing stones and rocks aside.

"Well!?" he shouted when no one else made another move. "What are you waiting for!?"

That shook them out of their dazes. They ran over, digging furiously. Astrid and the other riders had already done lots, but they didn't really know how much dirt they would have to uncover before they found Hiccup.

_If _they found Hiccup at all…

Astrid shook her head. No, they _would _find Hiccup. She wouldn't have it any other way. Even if all the others gave up (although she was _sure _this would never happen), she would remain, digging and digging until the cows came home until she found her Dragon Boy again.

It seemed to take forever, but at length, part of the stone gave way. The stones at the top shook and tumbled downwards, refilling the hole in which they had dug.

However, it left a large, blatant entrance at the top; big enough for even a dragon to fit in. No words needed to be said, and it didn't even take much climbing before Stoick and the others reached their way in. The other dragons continued digging the rest of the stones away while Toothless ran in behind Stoick, Astrid and the other dragon riders.

The first thing Astrid noticed was the fact that it was impossible to breathe. The second thing she noticed was a small body, laying in a heap in the center of the cavern.

_Hiccup_.

"Hiccup!" Astrid cried as she raced over to his unconscious body. Behind her, Stoick also shouted his son's name and ran. The others said nothing, but hurried forward.

Astrid reached Hiccup before anyone else, skidding to her knees (not caring that there would be abrasions on them) and grabbing Hiccup roughly. He was laying on his side, his back to her, so she wrapped her arms around his body and pulled him onto her lap. She brushed his hair from his face, trying to ignore the blood that matted his bangs. He was pale, and unconscious.

Unconscious, or…

Astrid pressed her head to Hiccup's chest desperately, pulling him closer to her, practically crushing him to her own chest. There it was; slow, faint, but a heartbeat nonetheless. He was alive. Hiccup was _alive_. Battered, bruised, and hurt, but _alive_.

Astrid was just about to announce it to the others as they reached her, but then she noticed a small hint of blue coloring Hiccup's lips. She let her hand hover over his mouth for a moment, waiting for the feeling of his breath against her palm, but it didn't come.

He wasn't breathing.

Hiccup wasn't breathing.

"He isn't breathing!" Astrid cried at the top of her lungs. She felt tears sting her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. No, she couldn't cry, not here, not now, not when she was supposed to be strong.

Stoick was there another instant later, but Astrid barely noticed him. She was jostling Hiccup in her arms just slightly, trying to see if he would wake up.

He didn't.

He didn't move.

He didn't breathe.

"Hiccup," Astrid said, choking on her sobs. "Hic-cup…" She choked on a sob in the middle of whispering Hiccup's name multiple times. "Hiccup please…_please_, Hiccup..." she begged desperately.

Stoick bent over her and scooped Hiccup into his own arms. Astrid was reluctant to let her best friend go, but she knew that Stoick was just as freaked out as she was.

"Come on, we have to get him to open air!" Stoick shouted. No one needed to be told twice. Stoick would have left without them either way, anyways. He ran out from the opening, which was now huge thanks to the other dragons, and then mounted Thornado. The other dragon riders mounted their dragons (Astrid mounted Toothless and ordered Stormfly to follow) and flew out of the hole.

That was it. They were out. They were free.

_But at what cost? _

**One cliffhanger, two cliffhanger, three cliffhanger, four cliffhanger...I am Queen Cliffie. So sorry about this. Will Hiccup live? You know, I really wanted this to happen in episode 8, with the whole Astrid holding Hiccup in her arms while crying and begging him to wake up, but of course, it didn't happen. *snaps fingers* Maybe in season 3! :D And I love Hiccstrid, if you haven't noticed. **


	5. Chapter 5

**So yes, ANOTHER CHAPTER THINGY. I should probably be finishing this story today, and then I can get started on "What Became of the Crash" (requested by movielover48. The title will probably be changed to "What Became of the Raid" because now that the idea's in my head it just makes more sense). So, look out for that! :D Enjoy this chapter, shout-outs next! **

**And one more question: Should I do another chapter for "Wolves"? Just review what you think. :) Thanks! :D Because if you guys let me know, I might update it faster...reviews give me inspiration at times. :D But, as usual, don't feel pressured to leave a review, because it is TOTALLY cool if they aren't your thing. :) Enjoy chapter 5! :D **

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As soon as they got to open air, the dragons landed on the sandy terrain. Stoick jumped off Thornado's back, laying Hiccup down on the ground with gentleness not many people knew he possessed.

Astrid dismounted Toothless and raced over as Stoick tried to get Hiccup to breathe. He put his mouth over his son's and tried giving him some air, but so far, nothing was working. Astrid watched helplessly, the others doing the same beside and behind her.

"Come _on_, Hiccup…!" Stoick said desperately. "Just breathe…!"

Nothing. Stoick tried again, and still nothing. Astrid was rising to a panic attack. No, she didn't know how she could ever move on without Hiccup. She didn't know what she would do without him. He couldn't just die on her like this. He couldn't just die without even saying goodbye...and even if he _did _say goodbye, he _still _couldn't die! He couldn't die. He just couldn't...

After what felt like forever, Hiccup coughed. Astrid released a breath she didn't know she was holding. Hiccup made a gagging sound in his throat as he gasped, coughing up a storm. But he was breathing. He was okay. Hurt, but alive, with a heartbeat, breath, and all around _life_. Maybe that was okay with Astrid. As long as he was alive, then that was all that mattered.

"Hiccup," Stoick said, sliding one of his arms behind Hiccup's shoulders, his other arm cradling Hiccup's head as he pulled his beloved boy to his chest and held him there. Hiccup coughed into his chest, but Stoick didn't care. "Oh Hiccup…" he breathed, his hand supporting the boy's head as he coughed and choked. He had come so close to losing Hiccup so many times in the past, and Hiccup had always been fine afterwards, but this time, Stoick had been sure that his son was gone. He was sure that this time, he had failed his boy and lead him to his grave. Over something as simple as a stupid portrait, too!

Astrid ran forward, grabbing Hiccup's limp hand in her own as he finally finished his coughing spasm. She gripped his hand tightly, rubbing her thumb over his bony knuckles, not caring who was watching her open acts of affection.

Hiccup looked up at his father weakly, his eyes half-lidded and unfocused.

"Dad," he slurred, just before hissing through his teeth, wrapping his other arm (the one Astrid wasn't holding) around his ribs, grimacing in pain.

"Hiccup," Stoick said, trying to keep his rising hysterics out of his voice. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Hiccup lied instantly; maybe too instantly. His chest heaved as he continued gasping for breath. Breathing felt so _good_, especially after being in that airless cavern. Despite the pain deep breaths caused his ribs, Hiccup couldn't stop himself. He would never take air for granted again.

"No, you're not fine, Hiccup," Stoick said. "Come on. Let's get you home." There was a good size cut on Hiccup's forehead, but it wasn't bleeding anymore. Stoick determined that it could wait to be tended to until they made it back to Berk. If the way Hiccup was breathing and clutching his upper abdomen was any indication, then he had messed up his ribs as well. Maybe cracked, maybe broken…? Stoick really wasn't in the mood to guess. Standing up and readjusting Hiccup in his arms, he mounted Thornado. Behind him, the others mounted their dragons, Astrid, once again, taking up the task of flying Toothless.

The dragons were airborne.

They were going home.

When they finally got back to Berk after what felt like forever, Stoick headed straight to his and Hiccup's house to avoid questions from villagers. Some of the Berkians, however, had watched them fly in, and were standing in front of the Haddock residence, asking a million questions at once.

"Gobber," Stoick said as he dismounted, Hiccup in his arms, "please answer their questions before they jump to conclusions."

"Aye aye, Chief," Gobber said, saluting for whatever reason before doing as Stoick had commanded.

"You three," Stoick nodded in the direction of Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Snotlout, "go get the healer." The three of them nodded back and ran off, probably, for the first time in their lives, without questioning Stoick's word.

"I'll take care of the dragons," Fishlegs offered. "They seem a bit spooked."

Fishlegs tried patting Toothless on the head, but the Night Fury ran forward, standing beside Stoick as he carried Hiccup into the house.

"You can stay outside, Toothless," Stoick said. Instantly, Toothless unsheathed his teeth and snarled. "Alright, alright, none of that," Stoick said. "You can stay, but only because you'll blast me if I don't let you."

"Sir," Astrid said, "I would like to stay, too."

"Astrid," Stoick began, and then cut himself off. He knew how much Hiccup and Astrid truly cared about each other, and he didn't want to make her leave just for no reason. "Alright," he said. "You both can stay." He walked inside, Astrid and Toothless following him.

Stoick headed straight to Hiccup's loft, laying the boy on his bed before pulling a stool over and sitting down next to the bedside.

"I'll go get some water," Astrid offered. "Maybe it'll save the healer some time fetching it now."

Stoick nodded, and Astrid left, leaving Stoick alone with his son and Toothless. Stoick sighed. He had a lot to talk to Hiccup about.

First of all, he owed his son an apology.

* * *

**So, I think there will be one (maybe two if you're lucky, or I somehow feel like writing another one) chapter left in this story, and then it's done! I hope you're all enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing this. I really hope there's more Hiccup/Stoick/Father/Son bonding in the new series. I want to see Hiccup get hurt (well, obviously, by my fanfictions) and see Stoick really worried and concerned about him. Same goes as Astrid. I don't know, maybe it's just me. :) Well, look for the next chapter soon! :D Stay awesome!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So, guys, as much as I hate to say this...well...**

**I'm going to be leaving fanfiction. Like, forever. This is the last chapter I will ever do for any story, so enjoy it. I want to say thank you to all the people out there who reviewed and followed my stories...writing for you guys has been awesome. So, this is BeyondTheClouds777, over and out from here on out. **

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**LOL, APRIL FOOLS! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA! I'M SO SORRY, GUYS! I COULDN'T RESIST! Let's see how many people unfollow me now...**

**Well, hopefully I won't lose any followers. :) My email isn't working so great right now, so sorry, no shout-outs. BUT I will shout-out to ALL the awesome people who READ, FAV, FOLLOW, and REVIEW! :D And just so you all know... **

***whispers* I'm going to update another chapter on "Wolves". Inspiration suddenly struck gold! :D And no, hopefully my inspiration won't lead to it being a death!fic... **

**I think I've done enough of those for a while. So, look for "Wolves" chapter 3, and then Chapter 1 to a new story called "What Became of the Crash" (title will be changed to "What Became of the Raid" because it fits it better). So, yep. FINAL CHAPTER TO THIS FANFICTION! :D ENJOY! :D Sorry about the April Fools prank...I couldn't help it. Yeah, I'm never actually permanently leaving fanfiction. I might take a few hiatus here and there, but no, never leaving for good. :) **

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"...Dad…?"

Stoick looked down at Hiccup as his broken voice reached the father's ears. Hiccup still looked ridiculously pale, but there was a little bit of color coming back to his cheeks. It was a good sign, at least. The rising and falling of Hiccup's chest, albeit the bursts of air he took in and let out were harsh and uneven, was also reassuring. It was a constant reminder to Stoick that his only child was alive.

However, it was also a reminder, telling him silently just how close he had come to losing his boy. He had almost lost Hiccup multiple times; the fight against the Red Death had left Hiccup permanently scarred with his prosthetic was the most memorable. That day, Stoick had silently promised that he would always look after Hiccup, and never push him into doing something like that again.

Oh, and he had broken that promise to Hiccup on this day. He had, instead, let the painting of the opposite of Hiccup go without speaking ill about it. In fact, he actually let the villagers _honor _the painting, say what good of a job it was, how wonderful it was…

Meanwhile, Hiccup had snuck away, unnoticed and feeling unwanted, to take up a task that almost costed him his life. If they had arrived only a few minutes later, and hadn't got oxygen to Hiccup in time…

"Dad," Hiccup repeated, and Stoick looked down at him once again. "I'm sorry."

Stoick stared at Hiccup in shock. What was he apologizing for? In truth, _Stoick _should have been the one apologizing. "What on _Earth _are you sorry for, Hiccup?" Stoick asked.

Hiccup looked up at him with confusion. "You're...you're upset with me...aren't you?" he asked.

"Why would you think I was upset with you?" Stoick questioned.

"Because," Hiccup said.

"Because what?"

"Because I didn't do it," Hiccup said. "I didn't find the treasure of Hamish the Second. I failed at the final streak, Dad. I just...I didn't do it. I'm so sorry I let you down again-"

"Hiccup," Stoick said, effortlessly cutting him off, "you didn't let me down."

"But...but I did," Hiccup insisted. "I always let you down, and it's just something I can't seem to stop, Dad. I constantly...I constantly mess up on everything I try to do, I can't do anything right…"

"Hiccup, that's where you're wrong," Stoick said. "You don't mess up on everything you do...in fact, you hardly mess up on _anything _you do. And the treasure...it doesn't matter, Hiccup. I want you to know that I'm proud of you no matter what happens."

Hiccup stared at him as if he had pulled the pin out of a grenade. "Why?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"Because you're my Hiccup," Stoick said. "You're clever, creative, brave, smart, kind, courageous, resourceful, thoughtful, not one to give up easily...you make an old viking proud, Hiccup. I don't know how I got you as my son."

Hiccup stared at him with shock in his eyes. "Really?" he asked. "Because, in my mind, it's...it's always been the other way around…"

"No, Hiccup," Stoick said. Hiccup averted his gaze. "Hiccup," Stoick tried again, before he lifted Hiccup's chin so he met his eyes. "Look at me," he said gently.

Hiccup's green eyes met his. His emerald eyes were piercing, like they always were, filled with hundreds of different emotions Stoick couldn't even_ begin_ to decipher.

"I will _always _be proud of you, Hiccup," Stoick said. "I might not always seem appreciative, because I'm blinded sometimes, more often than not. But I wouldn't change anything about you if I were able. You're just the son I want, Hiccup, and I love you no matter what you do."

"I...I love you too, Dad," Hiccup said. Another moment later, he launched himself at his father, wrapping his arms around him in an embrace as tight as he could manage. Stoick returned it, gratefully hugging his son.

"Oh Hiccup…" he said. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, son. Could you forgive me?"

Hiccup nodded against his chest. "Yeah Dad," he said.

Stoick couldn't help but smile. After a few more moments, after Hiccup's ribs had had enough, Stoick helped him lay down on his bed once again, pulling the blanket over his son's body. He watched until Hiccup fell asleep, his eyes closed in peaceful slumber.

And from that moment on, Stoick felt closer to his son than he had ever felt before.

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**Author's Notes: **

**So yeah, I guess this is it. Short-short, sort of, yeah, I know...I got over 6,000 words though, which is cool. :) I hope you all enjoyed this fanfiction. **

**I really want to see more Stoick and Hiccup Hurt/Comfort in the next season of Dragons. I mean...I **_**really, really, really **_**want to see something like that. Hopefully they do it. I think it would be amazing. :) **

**And Hiccstrid, too! I ship Hiccstrid like FedEx (got that thing off another website, by the way, so no, I didn't make it up). I want to see some more Hiccup/Astrid/Hurt/Comfort, too. Between hurt Hiccup and worried Stoick and hurt Hiccup and worried Astrid, I think I'll be satisfied enough. **

**I wouldn't mind some more Dagur, either. :D **

**Until next story! **

**-BeyondTheClouds777 **


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